Fáilte Ireland has expressed concern about the use of hotel accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers, saying that it has had a “significant impact” on Ireland’s tourism industry.
Speaking on RTE Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme today, Paul Kelly, CEO of the tourism body, said that between €750m and €1.1 billion has been lost to the Irish economy so far.
Mr Kelly said that an estimated €200 million had been lost in tax revenue as well, because of the loss of tourism accommodation.
“Our research showed that about 12% of registered tourism accommodation has been withdrawn for humanitarian reasons,” Mr Kelly said.
Asked about the loss of tourism accommodation, including the controversy over the D Hotel in Drogheda, which has been repurposed to house IPAS applicants, Mr Kelly said the organisation would hope that “alternative solutions can be found as quickly as possible.”
Asked about the Dublin riots, and the resulting pause of Fáilte Ireland’s marketing campaign at the time, Mr Kelly said that while the riots garnered significant media coverage worldwide, “it doesn’t seem to have dampened the appeal of Ireland internationally.”
“On a once-off incident like that, it doesn’t seem to have had a long-term impact,” he said.
“Most businesses are predicting that international visitors are going to be up on last year, which is great to see the recovery continue. And we’re facing into our best year ever in terms of air access. Overall from a demand point of view, particularly from the North American market, it’s looking very strong for this year,” Mr Kelly added.
Mr Kelly’s comments follow protests over the use of Drogheda’s largest hotel, which will be used to accommodate international protection applicants.
Up to 500 IPAS applicants are expected to be housed at the central Drogheda hotel, meaning it will be closed to tourists and the public for the next two years after the popular hotel signed a contract with the Department of Integration. Locals have expressed concerns that the closure of the D Hotel will leave Drogheda struggling to accommodate tourists, especially in the run-up to a number of festivals set to take place in the Louth town.
Hundreds of protestors turned out for a demonstration outside a Drogheda hotel earmarked to house asylum seekers. All 113 rooms of the D Hotel are to be used for state accommodation from next month. @AislingNiCTV reports. pic.twitter.com/hpoMKYYACW
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) February 17, 2024
Speakers from Drogheda raised their concerns over the situation, with organisers describing it as a “positive” day. Organiser Patrice Johnson said that people are “angry” with the lack of leadership from local representatives, and they are also angry for being “labelled for having a concern” about the housing of IPAS applicants at the town’s largest hotel.
The people that turned out yesterday aren't just angry about the closure of the D hotel for welfare tourists.
They are angry with the lack of leadership from the local representation.
They are angry for being labelled for having a concern.
Dumping 500 ipas applicants into the… pic.twitter.com/fbYasQNGlG
— Patrice Johnson 🇮🇪 (@patricej36) February 18, 2024
Speaking to Gript last week, festival organisers told Gript that the decision to close the hotel’s doors to the public – for the next two years – in order to house hundreds of migrants claiming asylum from the 5th March, has left event and festival management asking the questions: “Where do I accommodate my acts? Where do the tourists go?”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, meanwhile, has said that the government is working on a plan to limit the number of IPAS applicants being placed in the hotel.
Asked about the issue, he said: “I understand the concerns that people have, that losing the major hotel in their town could be a major setback in terms of what has been achieved in the town in recent years.”
“We are exploring solutions that, for example, might allow the hotel to continue to operate [where] it wouldn’t be fully used for international protection, or alternatively bringing some of the other hotel accommodation in the town back into use,” Mr Varadkar told reporters.
Referencing widespread local objection, including from the town’s mayor, he added: “We understand what the councillors and TDs in Drogheda are saying, that migrants and international protection applicants are welcome in their town, but the loss of their only major functioning hotel would be such a setback given what’s been achieved for the town in recent years.”